In the eyes of a variety of esoteric and Hermetic practitioners, the 심장 of alchemy is spiritual. Transmutation of lead into gold is presented as an analogy for personal transmutation, purification, and perfection. This approach is often termed 'spiritual', 'esoteric', 또는 'internal' alchemy.Early alchemists, such as Zosimos of Panopolis, highlight the spiritual nature of the alchemical quest, symbolic of a religious regeneration of the human soul. This approach continued in the Middle Ages, as metaphysical aspects, substances, physical states, and material processes were used as metaphors...